Fashion Channel Case Study

As the only network dedicated solely to fashion, The Fashion Channel's (TFC) consistent Fashion for everyone strategy is facing challenges by the other two competitors Lifetime and CNN, which are separately targeting young females and men by their fashion-related programming. The channel needs to target the right viewers and offer advertisers an attractive mix of viewers, consequently strengthening its competitive position.

II. Causes of problem:

The Fashion Channel (TFC) was a widely available niche cable network which only offers fashion-oriented programming. Lifetime and CNN are the two biggest competitors of TFC. They start to offer fashion-specific programming and attract advertisers by their higher ratings, the audience's characteristics, and competitive trends. According to the case, "both lifetime and CNN had launched fashion-specific programming blocks that were achieving notable ratings." The problem is how to develop the segmentation and positioning, change the current content of programming, and reach the target customers, so as to get back those market shares from competitors, create more revenues and maintain TFC's early standing.

III. Decision Criteria and Alternative Solutions

Based on the problem statement and the cause of the problems which the (TFC) faces, the recommended actions that would need to take place would be to market the (TFC) to more specific groups who are more interested and enthusiastic people who love the fashion channel. The solution would be to focus on the target group who are more into the fashion channel for example the fashionistas, planners and shoppers, and situationalists. This group would be a diverse yet specific group who would be more focused on the fashion channel instead of watching CNN or lifetime. They could provide different and cheaper ways of providing the TV channel to customers who have cable for example. Another way would be to have TV advertisements which are proven to work the best, according to Mike Brassel, "When you advertise on TV, your commercial is not only competing with others, it is also competing with the viewer's environment as well." He goes on to say, "Television reaches very large audiences – usually much larger than the audience your local newspaper reaches, and it does so during a short period of time." This very true and in terms of (TFC) this would be a great idea. The pros and cons for the concepts would be in terms of diversifying different groups who watch the fashion channel; the pros would be that they would be focused on a certain target group who would watch the channel. The con to this is that not everyone might want to watch the fashion channel